Dad strikes son (6) with steel rod

Fungai Jachi Court Reporter A 33-year-old Harare man was this week sentenced to 140 hours of community service after he pleaded guilty to contravening the Children’s Act after assaulting his six-year-old son using a steel rod inflicting serious head injuries.Tumba Chiuumba appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe facing charges of contravening the Children’s Act Chapter 5:06 which prohibits adults from physically assaulting children.

Chiuumba pleaded guilty to the charges.

Prosecutor Ms Franscica Mukumbiri told the court that on September 1 this year Chiuumba assaulted his son all over the body firstly using a cooking stick but later resorted to a steel rod.

The boy sustained serious head injuries. The reasons for the assault were not clear to the court but it is believed that Chiuumba was reprimanding his son for telling people how he used to assault him.

The young boy was instructed by his father to stay indoors until his head wound had healed.

However, fellow tenants at the house reported him to the police, leading to his arrest.